Unit 2: Hormones That Affect The Body’s Response To Stress Flashcards
Hormones that affect the body’s response to stress:
5. Epinephrine & norepinephrine:
•produced by the adrenal medulla.
•regulates the body’s short-term response to stress.
•when presented with a stressful situation, neurons from the hypothalamus relay a signal to adrenal medulla to secrete epinephrine & norepinephrine.
•response is rapid, because hormone release is mediated by the nervous system.
•involved in “fight or flight” response to prepare body for emergency situation.
•controlled by sympathetic nervous system.
•causes increased heart rate, breathing rate, blood flow, blood glucose levels and redirects blood flow to brain and muscles.
Hormones that affect the body’s response to stress:
6. Cortisol:
•produced by adrenal cortex after stimulation by ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic hormone).
•promotes the break down of fats and proteins (amino acids) to glucose sugar.
•long-term response to stress (increases the energy available for use by cells).
•long term health issues: impaired thinking, increased blood pressure, increased risk of diabetes and infection.
Hormones that affect the body’s response to stress:
7. Aldosterone:
•Also triggered by ACTH.
•produced by the adrenal cortex.
•increases blood pressure by increasing the absorption of sodium (and therefore water) into the bloodstream.
•long-term response to stress (increases delivery of oxygen and other nutrients to cells).
-similar to ADH, but ADH responds when the body is dehydrated (due to lack of water like excessive sweating, diarrhea, vomiting), whereas aldosterone responds when blood pressure is low (due to large loss of body fluids, like a hemorrhage).
Addison’s disease:
-results from damage to the adrenal cortex, causing the body to produce inadequate amounts of cortisol and aldosterone.
•symptoms: low blood sugar, ion imbalances, low blood pressure, rapid weight loss, general weakness.
•treated with injections of glucocorticoids and mineralcorticoids.
